Automatic electric door-closer structure



Sept 14,, 1926, 1,599,729

P. TAYLOR AUTOMATIC ELECTR IC DOOR CLOSER STRUCTURE Filed March 19, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 $113k 1Q W26 1,599,729

P. TAYLOR AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC DOOR CLOSER STRUCTURE I Filed March 19, 1924 "2 Sheets Sheet 2 Ill/1m m llllllll/Ak javazlor I w fdaww W patented Sept. 14, 1926.

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PETER TAYLOR, F DES MOINES, IOVZA.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC DOOR CLOSER STRUCTURE.

Application filed March 19, 1924. Serial No. @0397.

My invention relates toa device for use in connection with doors, which must be- A further-object is to providean auto- "matic door closure structure, or s'in'iple durable and inexpensive construction. which can readily be adjusted and modified for ate conveniently operatingdoors by power, the

mechanism having means capable of manipulation for disconnecting the power and per mitting manual operation ofthe doors.

\Vith these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of mydevice, whereby the objectscontemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully setiorth; pointed outin'my-claims, and so illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

in which Figure lshows a side elevation ofan operating 'unit for door closing mechanisms,

embodying my invention.

as Figure 2' shows a vertical, sectionalview through the mechanism shown in Figure 1 with themotor omitted.

Figure 3 shows atop'or plan view partly in section of'the door operating mechanism adapted to be controlled and operated with my unit.

Figure dshows anend elevation of'part of the mechanism shown in Figure 3.

' Figure 5 showsa vertical, 'SeCtlOllELl' view taken-on the line 55 of Figure 2 with the woimshhtt in another position. the figure being turned ninety degrees to the left.

Figure '6 shows a "top or plan View of a door operating mechanism including my unit, partsjbeing broken-away.

F gure 7 shows a -side elevation of the Sallie.

It is well known that especially in public "garages it is desirable tohave means where- 1 the large entrance doors may be quickly tricity.

and easily opened and closed .by mechanical means.

I have. provided in my present invent-ion, a power unit which can be quickly and readily adjusted for use with almost any of such'forms of door-sand operating mechanisms-for operating such devices by elec- I shall iirst explain the structure otmy improved power unit and will then show now it canbe readily adapted fOlWlSQWltll different kinds of door operating mechamsms.

I provide a casing indicated in the-accompanying drawings by reference character 10. The casing may be made in any suitable way to support the mechanism herein described.

The casing 10 is formed with journals'or bearings 11 and 12 to receive a shaft 16 on which is mounted-a'worm 15. On the shaft 13 are bushings 13 The shaft 13 isarrangcd to project from the casing, as shown "for instance in Figure 2, and to carry a gearing device detachably mounted on its'outer end. The gearing device is illustrated in Figure 2, as a pulley lvlounted in suitablebearings 17 and 18, as shown in Flgure '5 for eXarnp-le by means ofbu'shings' 19 and 20 1s a shaft Blontvhich is a worm wheel'22.

The casinglO is provided with journals 23 and 24* arranged at right angles to the our nals 11 and 12, as shown inl igure 2 toselectivel'y receive the shaft 13in such position that suchshaft will be at right angles to its position shown in'Figure 2,and that the worm" 15 thereon' will mesh with the worm wheel 22.

The casing lO-has jour'nalsQ ant-P26 arranged at right angles to the shaft 21 to support a shaft 27. On the shaft 27 in the bearing is a bushing 28. On the shaft 27 is a beveled gear'29, which meshes with a beveled gear 30 on the shaft 21 as shown I in Figure On the outer end of the shaft 2? is rotatably and detachably mounted a gearing device, such ior'instancc as the spur gear 31 or a sprocket wheel 31", or pulleyas may be desired. The outer end of the shaft 27 is 'ournaled in a yoke 27 outside the cas- "The gearing device just mentioned has a Mil) asing for clutch memi tor throwthe gear l... ortion OJ. the yol-re 1 ,rovided with regularspaced holes For b to selectively receive nin. which. may he used to hold .s in mesh when a on aller gear 3. is used vary the speed of the operation of the doors, or for any other JP rpose.

The arrangement whereby the shaft 13 may he adji ed to di'i'ierent positions is of some importance, been use it permits the unit to be turned to diiierent positions for conuecting the gearin member on the shaft 27 to other gearing devices. The motor 32 can he mounted on the unit in its different positions and the same unit ca. thus be used for operating different kinds of door pening and'closing mechanisms by turning the unit a quarter revolution in two directions, rearran ing the shaft 13, and changposition of the motor.

for example, when it is desired to have the gearing device 31 in horizontal position, the shaft 13 is arranged horizontally as shown in l igures 1 and 2, and the motor is set on top of the casing 10.

It on the other hand, it is desirable to arrange the gearing device on the shaft 27 in vertical position as shown in Figure 5, the shaft 13 is moved from its position shown in Figure 2 to its position in the journals 9.3 and 24-, the motor is removed, the casing; is turned a quarter revolution to the loft and then a quarter of a revolution forwardly toward the workman, whereupon the parts will be in the position shown in Figure and the motor can he placed on what is then the top of the gear casings.

The motor 32 has on its shaft 33 a pulley 3 which in either of the positions oi the unit heretofore suggested can be arranged in line w th the pulley 16 for operating said p..lley lav means of a belt 35.

For illustrating the manner in which the unit may he employed, I have shown in Figa door operating mechanism, which i will now describe.

CF18 doors 36 and 37 are hinged as at 38 to the frame 39. Above the doors are arran Jed rack bars mounted in suitable bearings not here fully illustrated. These wo rack bars, which overlap as shown Figure 3, and in mesh with the teeth of both rack bars. At their outer ends, the rack bars are in mesh with segmental gears il supported by brackets 1-2. (See Figure 1i.

tent from each segmental gear are vertically spaced short arms pivoted at their outer ends to one end of a link 44. "lire opposite end of the link i t is pivoted to the door 36 or the door 37, as the case be. near the hinge side thereof.

will, of course, be understood that the tor is connec 'ed with current conducting or the like, and that the circuit incl .des switches suitably located, and that the motor is of the reversible type. One switch 37" is mounted on the casing 10, as shown in Figures 6, "T and 8.

.Vhen the motor arranged as shown in Figures 1 and 2 and the unit shown in said figures are employed in connection with a door operating mechanism oi the kind horn in l igures 3 and a it will be seen that l operation of the motor and the pinion 31 will serve to open or close the doors 36 and 3? depending upon the direction of rotation of the pulley 34.

The pins 37* on the rack 40 cooperate with the switch 37 to openthe circuit when the mechanism has operated to close or open the doors.

In Figures 6 and 7,1 have illustrated a different form of door and door operating mechanism.

In these figures, there is shown a door comprising the hinged horizontal sections and forming a door of the overhead type. The door is illustrated somewhat diagrammatically because of its structure and forms no part of my invention. It may be said, however, that the door slides from its vertical position, shown in Figure 7, upwardly and then horizontally. The door sections have rollers at their ends, which travel on guides 51 and 52, the rollers being illustrated at 53.

The lower section 50 has secured to it flexible members or ropes 54, which extend upwardly over pulleys 55 at the sides and above the door.

A cross bar 56 slides on guides or supports 57 and has at its ends pulleys 58.

The ropes 54 are extended from the pulleys 55 around the pulleys 58 and thence haclc to the brackets which support the pulleys 55.

Connected with the cross bar 56 is a rack bar 60 extending away from the door toward the casing 10 of my unit and arranged with teeth connecting with the pinion or gear 31, as shown in Figure 7. On the rack 60 are pins 60, which operate the switch 3'? already mentioned. Springs 60 counterbalance the weight of the doors.

The unit can be readily adjusted and adapted for use with different door operating mechanisms.

It will be obvious that by throwing the clutch out of gear, the doors can be operated independently of the motor and the mechanism of the unit in the casing 10.

In the form of device shown in Figure 8, both doors may be operated by manipulating one of them, since the clutch is so located that the rack bars operate the gear 31, but do not operate the rest of the mechanism of the unit.

My unit is of simple and inexpensive construct-ion, occupies a minimum amount of space and can be made in one size in the factory for a considerable variety of uses.

I claim as my invention 1. In a device of the class described, a casing, a shaft mounted therein for rotation, a Worm wheel on said shaft, a beveled gear on said shaft, said casing having pairs of bearings arranged in lines intersecting each other at right angles, a shaft adapted to be selectively mounted in the different pairs of bearings and to project from the casing, a worm on said shaft for meshing with said worm wheel, a third shaft supported on said casing, a gear device thereon meshing with said beveled gear, a gear element on said third shaft, adjustable means for connecting said third shaft with said gear element or for throwing the third shaft out of gear with the gear element, said second shaft being arranged at the same distance from the two sides of the casing.

2. In a device of the class described, a unit comprising a casing, a shaft mounted therein having a worm wheel and a beveled gear thereon, said casing having pairs of bear ings arranged in lines at right angles to each other, said bearings being respectively equidistant from two different sides of the casing, a shaft adapted to be mounted in either of said pairs of bearings, a worm on said shaft for meshing with said worm wheel, a third shaft mounted on said casing, gearing devices on said second and third shafts, a gear element, a clutch interposed between the third shaftand the gear element, and a motor adapted to be supported on said casing and operatively connected with the gearing device on the second shaft.

3. In a device of the class described, a casing, a gearing mechanism supported thereby, including a shaft, a yoke for supporting said shaft, a gear element on the shaft hetween the yoke and the casing, racks mesh ing with said gear, and adjustable pins in said yoke adapted toholding the racks in mesh with said gear.

Des Moines, Iowa, March 7, 1924:. 1 PETER TAYLOR. 

